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What are the two main differences between an ATX and a Micro-ATX board?
Micro ATX is one of the offshoots of ATX, and its main difference from the main ATX form factor is size. ATX retains a generally rectangular board size measuring 305mm. by 244mm. Micro ATX is a more even square which retains the 244mm.
Is the Micro-ATX motherboard good?
Micro ATX motherboards might be great for saving you a bit of space and being cheaper than full-sized ATX motherboards, but you should know you’re making a few sacrifices. Chiefly these smaller boards often come with fewer PCIe slots—or even just one on certain models.
Why was the Micro-ATX motherboard designed?
microATX was explicitly designed to be backward-compatible with ATX. The mounting points of microATX motherboards are a subset of those used on full-size ATX boards, and the I/O panel is identical. Thus, microATX motherboards can be used in full-size ATX cases.
What is a Micro-ATX motherboard?
The Micro-ATX motherboard is a smaller motherboard that saves space and energy and is generally cheaper as a result. It has an equal amount of room for memory as the ATX in four RAM slots but has a maximum of four PCIe slots instead of seven and comes with less room for storage than the ATX board.
How to choose a micro ATX motherboard for your computer?
Whenever possible, always choose Micro ATX motherboards with USB 3.0 back panel ports and/or USB 3.0 front panel connectors. They make a big difference over USB 2.0 (two to four times real-world speed improvement) when you’re hooking up your computer to USB 3.0 storage devices (flash drives and external hard drives).
Why are micro ATX form factors so popular?
Other than price, that’s the other major reason for the Micro ATX form factor gaining widespread popularity with mainstream consumers. However, being a jack of all trades also implies Micro ATX isn’t the best form factor for some specific needs.
What are the disadvantages of an ATX computer?
ATX units tend to be on the larger side, and as a result, take up more space in whatever room you may have the computer in (due to the need for a larger case), as well as in your custom build itself. And while the ATX does stay cool, when the unit is cooling, it does tend to get noisy, which can bother some.
Should I get a micro-ATX mini tower for my desk?
Some people prefer to have their computers on the desk while others rather have them sit on the floor. A Micro-ATX mini tower allows you to do both with comfort. The diminutive Mini-ITX case looks good on a desk, but it’s too short for you to leave it on the floor (you’ll have to do a sit-and-reach each time to turn on the computer).